West Coast Swing at 99 Hudson

West Coast Swing at 99 Hudson

Every Tuesday @ 99 Hudson@ hudson and franklinDJ: John Festa9-12:30AM, Admission: $10"Skirt Night" first Tuesday of Month ($1 to all skirts/dresses)

Robert AbramsApril 6, 2004

The regular West Coast Swing night in New York City used to be held at Jack Rose on Wednesday nights, until Jack Rose fell victim to unspecified economics and was acquired by a national restaurant chain (the one frequented by celebrity look-alikes). John Festa, who presented and DJed West Coast Swing at Jack Rose, has found a new venue. West Coast Swing is now on Tuesday nights at 99 Hudson Street, a sports bar in a part of town that seems to be threatening to become fairly hip. On this night, it happened to be the NCAA Women's Basketball title game, which UConn won over Tennessee. Dancing in what is normally a sports bar can provide food for thought on whether dance is a sport. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

I would like to offer an observation on another issue, however. West Coast Swing dancers in New York City are very dedicated, but we are a relatively small group compared to some other styles. All things being equal, New York City officialdom tends to have a hostile attitude towards dance in general, as evidenced by the city's gravely flawed cabaret laws. Real estate, especially in Manhattan, is a critical driving factor. Value per square foot plays a large role in determining which activities flourish. From a restaurant owner's perspective, social dancing is potentially a low value option because we take up a lot of square feet and we don't drink as much as non-dancers. I am not suggesting that dancers drink to excess to make restaurant owners happy, but we need to remember that we need to find ways to support the people who provide us with their well-appointed spaces, so that they will continue to do so. Keeping this in mind, even at dance events with a cover charge, consider buying a few drinks (doesn't have to be alcohol), tip the wait staff well, and never, ever fill up a bottle with water from the bathroom tap (not that anyone reading this would, but I have known a few). Better yet, when you thank John for hosting the party, ask him if there is anything extra you can do to keep the economics of West Coast Swing viable for the long term.

Here are a few pictures of the regular Westies happily ensconced in the new venue.